Interferon-alpha-associated monoarthritis.

The therapeutic indications for interferons (IFNs) have increased in recent years to include many different diseases of viral and malignant origin. Autoimmune phenomena may occur with IFN therapy, but arthritis is uncommon. In this case report, we describe a patient who developed monoarthritis in the knee after IFN-alpha therapy for chronic hepatitis B infection. A synovial fluid assay by polymerase chain reaction was negative for hepatitis B virus DNA and serum transaminase levels were normal as the arthritis developed. The patient was thought to have arthritis due to IFN-alpha treatment. A connection between IFN-alpha therapy and an induced autoimmune disorder is discussed.

The electroneurophysiological evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

In Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), one clinical hallmark of the vasculitis is the appearance of neurological findings. However, it is often difficult to diagnose these slight or early neuropathies and the study of the peripheral neuromuscular system is often made difficult by symptoms resulting from pain in the joints, and limitations of movement. It is nevertheless often possible, by means of electroneuromyography to show objectively the existence and distribution of even subclinical neuropathies. In order to evaluate the neurophysiological functions of RA patients by means of the peripheral nerve conduction and somatosensory evoked potential studies, 33 RA patients and 20 healthy controls were included in this study. Two (6%) patients were found to have carpal tunnel syndrome, while 6 (18%) patients had mononeuritis multiplex. Delayed N12, N13, N1 and P1 latencies were detected in 6 (18%) of 33 RA patients suggesting central nervous system involvement with intact peripheral nervous system. Our results confirm earlier observations that symptoms of neuropathy are fairly common in cases of RA without there being any clear correlation with any clinical variable. Therefore, the inclusion of an electroneurophysiologic examination of the RA patients is recommended in routine diagnostic procedure.

Bowel dysfunction and irritable bowel syndrome in fibromyalgia patients.

Fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome are both common conditions which account for most of the referrals to physical medicine and rehabilitation-rheumatology and gastroenterology clinics, and they frequently coexist. In this study, we utilized a previously validated questionnaire to assess the prevalence of symptoms of bowel dysfunction and irritable bowel syndrome, and to survey the range of bowel pattern in 75 patients with fibromyalgia as compared to 50 normal controls. Symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (p < 0.05) were reported in 41.8% of the fibromyalgia patients and 16% of the normal controls. In conclusion, we found that patients with fibromyalgia have a high prevalence of gastrointestinal complaints confirming the results indicating that fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome frequently coexist. This may suggest a common pathogenic mechanism for both conditions.

Beta thalassaemia: a report of 20 children.

Beta-thalassaemias have a wide variety of musculoskeletal system manifestations. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate the frequency and features of musculoskeletal system problems in children with beta-thalassaemia. A total of 20 beta thalassaemic patients with an average age of 13.8 years were enrolled in the study. In all patients studied, detailed history regarding musculoskeletal involvement was taken and locomotor examinations were performed. All patients underwent radiographic examination with standing anteroposterior and lateral X-rays of the spine. Two physicians blinded for the diagnosis used Cobb technique for determining the degree of scoliosis. In 12 of 20 patients (60%) locomotor system involvement was found. Most frequent complaints were arthralgia and low back pain in 30% and 25% of patients respectively. Scoliosis was detected radiologically in 40% of patients with a lateral curve of at least 5 degrees Cobb.

Bone mineral density in ankylosing spondylitis.

Vertebral osteoporosis is a well-recognized feature of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and also the vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis are a common but frequently unrecognized complication of AS. Both may contribute to the pathogenesis of spinal deformity and back pain. The aim of this study was to measure vertebral and femoral neck bone mass in patients with AS by dual photon absorptiometry, to determine the prevalence of compression fractures and to examine the relationship between bone density and disease severity. We found that the bone mass was diminished in the lumbar spine in moderate AS versus mild forms but the patients with advanced disease had the highest BMD values. Examination of spinal radiographs revealed compression and biconcave fractures in 9 (40.9%) cases. Neither the duration of the disease and the degree of sacroiliitis, nor the disease activity assessed by laboratory and clinical parameters was found to significantly affect the results.

The electroneurophysiological findings in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), vasculitis is a serious complication usually found in patients with long-standing erosive nodular seropositive disease. One clinical hallmark of this systemic arteritis is the appearance of neurological findings. However, it is often difficult to diagnose these slight or early neuropathies and the study of the peripheral neuromuscular system is often made difficult by symptoms resulting from pain in the joints and limitations of movement. It is nevertheless often possible by means of electroneuromyography to show objectively the existence and distribution of even subclinical neuropathies. In order to evaluate the neurophysiological functions of RA patients by means of the peripheral nerve conduction and somatosensorial evoked potential studies, 33 RA patients and 20 healthy controls were included in this study. Two (6%) patients were found to have carpal tunnel syndrome, while 6 (18%) patients had mononeuritis multiplex. Delayed N12, N13, N1 and P1 latencies were detected in 6 (18%) of 33 RA patients suggesting central nervous system involvement with intact peripheral nervous system. Our results confirm earlier observations that symptoms of neuropathy are fairly common in cases of RA without there being any clear correlation with any clinical variable. By means of electroneurophysiological studies, it is to evaluate the integrity of the peripheral nerve, the spine and the central pathways. Besides enabling to detect early subclinical involvement of the peripheral nervous system in RA, SEPs should also be used for the evaluation of subclinical myelopathy due to atlantoaxial subluxation or vasculitis. The inclusion of an electroneurophysiologic examination of the RA patients is recommended in routine diagnostic procedure.

Early detection of neurological involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

In lupus the neurological abnormalities usually mimic many primary neurological diseases and often represent the only manifestation of SLE for several years before the onset of other features of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate lupus patients to obtain electrophysiological data of possible neurological abnormalities even in the absence of neuropathy symptoms. Thirty-eight SLE patients, twenty healthy volunteers and 10 steroid-using control subjects were included. Eighteen were asymptomatic but 20 of them had neuropathy symptoms. Median, ulnar and peroneal nerve motor, median, ulnar and sural nerve sensory conduction velocities, median and tibial somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) were recorded. 23.6% of all lupus patients had peripheral nerve conduction slowing and 39.5% had SEP abnormalities; almost half of them being asymptomatic. 44.7% of the total had carpal tunnel syndrome; again almost half of them (47%) were asymptomatic. There was no significant correlation between the electrophysiologic parameters and the clinical and laboratory parameters of the disease. In lupus patients, SEP abnormalities were more pronounced than peripheral findings, reflecting the CNS involvement more common than the peripheral neuropathy. Therefore, we suggest performing the electrophysiological studies in lupus patients, even in the asymptomatic ones, early in the course in order to detect the nervous system involvement.

Effect of the long-term use of inhaled corticosteroids on bone mineral density in asthmatic women.

OBJECTIVE: Inhaled corticosteroids have become a key element in the maintenance treatment of bronchial asthma. Recent studies have shown that administration of inhaled corticosteroids is associated with evidence of derangement in bone turnover. Therefore, we studied the bone mineral density (BMD) of asthmatic women receiving long-term inhaled corticosteroids and compared them with healthy individuals matched for age, sex, menopausal status and body mass index. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-two female patients with bronchial asthma, who had been using inhaled corticosteroids (beclomethasone dipropionate 750-1500 microg/day) regularly for at least 3 months, were included in the study. Bone mineral density measurements were done with dual X-ray absorptiometry in the lumbar area of the spine and the hip. Detailed laboratory examination was also done for the patients and 26 controls. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in BMD of the patient group at the lumbar region and femur as compared with normal controls. In the patients there was a significant negative correlation between the duration of therapy, daily and cumulative doses, and BMD at the lumbar region but not BMD at the femur. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that long-term use of inhaled corticosteroids is associated with significant bone loss in asthmatic women and is especially related to the duration of therapy. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately screen and give prophylactic treatment to those who are likely to develop osteoporosis from inhaled corticosteroid treatment.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: a major complication in hemodialysis patients.

In order to assess the prevalence of the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) suggestive of beta 2 microglobulin amyloid deposit in patients undergoing hemodialysis with cuprophan and acetate membrane, we studied 30 patients who had been receiving hemodialysis for varying lengths of time. Besides a standard physical and rheumatological examination, nerve conduction velocity studies were done in median and ulnar motorsensory nerves. 12 patients had normal findings, 12 had CTS (9 pure CTS, 3 with neuropathy), and 9 had peripheral neuropathy. Nerve dysfunction was independent of the disease underlying renal failure, the side of the dialysis access shunt and factors such as age and sex. We suggest that hemodialysis patients need frequent EMG analysis to identify CTS early and to avoid irreversible nerve damage.

The role of quantitative ultrasound in predicting osteoporosis defined by dual X-ray absorptiometry.

The aim of this study was to establish whether quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters could identify patients classified as osteoporotic and osteopenic on the basis of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). One hundred and twenty-three patients (39 male, 84 female) with osteoporosis and suspected of having osteoporosis were included in this study. Broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and speed of sound (SOS) were measured and bone mineral densities (BMD) of the lumbar spine and left hip was measured by DEXA. Subjects were classified into three groups (normal, osteopenic and osteoporotic) on the basis of BMD T-scores measured by DEXA. QUS parameters of the osteoporotic group were significantly lower than those of osteopenic and normal groups; there was no difference in QUS parameters between the normal and osteopenic groups. Correlations of both right and left SOS and BUA with the spine and femoral neck BMD were moderate (r = 0.343-0.539, P < 0.001). There was also reasonable correlation between DEXA and QUS T-scores (r = 0.364-0.510, P < 0.001). QUS had a sensitivity of 21% and a specificity of 95% for diagnosing osteoporosis. We concluded that, although DEXA and QUS parameters were significantly correlated, QUS parameters can not predict osteopenia as defined by DEXA, and sensitivities and specificities of QUS parameters were not sufficiently high for QUS to be used as an alternative to DEXA.

Free radical changes in rat muscle tissue after exercise.

Intense exercise accompanied by a manifold increase in oxygen utilization over resting conditions has been shown to elevate the probability of the appearance of free radicals. One of the effects of free radicals appears to be the peroxidation of cell membrane lipids resulting in malondialdehyde formation, which is detrimental to cell function. A common method for the measurement of malondialdehyde involves a reaction with thiobarbituric acid. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of exercise on concentrations of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of rats. Thirty male rats were used in this study. Soleus and gastrocnemius muscle biopsies were performed and TBARS levels were studied in these two muscles. The rats were randomly assigned to three groups of ten each. Group A was the control group and did not perform exercise. In group B, gastrocnemius and soleus muscle biopsies were performed immediately after exercise, and in group C muscle biopsies were performed on the 2nd postexercise day. The exercise resulted in a significant increase in TBARS in the gastrocnemius muscle. In the soleus, TBARS also increased, but this was not statistically significant. In conclusion, exercise-induced free radical changes may depend on the muscle type studied.

Bone mineral density in haemodialysis patients: A comparative study of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and quantitative ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of bone is a relatively new technique that appears to assess 'bone quality' in addition to bone mineral density. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of QUS of calcaneum and to correlate it with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in chronic haemodialysis patients. METHODS: Broad-band ultrasound attenuation (BUA; dB/MHz) and speed of sound (SOS; m/s) of calcaneum and DEXA (g/cm(2)) measurements of the lumbar spine and hip were made in 39 patients. The indices obtained by either method were compared with age-and sex-matched controls. Calcaneal measurements were correlated to DEXA and relevant clinical and biochemical data of patients. RESULTS: BUA and SOS values were markedly reduced in dialysis patients compared to controls (59.1+/-13.8 vs 73.0+/-16.2 dB/MHz, P:<0.001 and 1533+/-28 vs 1560+/-29 m/s, P:=0.014 respectively). There was a moderate, but significant association between calcaneal parameters and DEXA (r=0.32-0.53, P:<0.05). Both BUA and SOS scores were inversely correlated with age (r=-0.69, P:<0.001) and duration of menopause (r=-0.74, P:<0.01). Additionally, BUA values showed a moderate negative association with serum intact parathyroid values (r=-0.38, P:=0.018). CONCLUSION: Chronic haemodialysis patients have reduced calcaneal BUA and SOS scores. QUS of the calcaneum is an easy-to-apply and radiation-free technique. It could be a useful substitute for assessment of bone density in such patients. However, further studies in large patient groups and comparisons with plasma markers of bone turnover and bone biopsy findings are needed to assess its potential place in the management of renal osteodystrophy.